Pressing machine



March 23, 1937. F, M.. WATKINS PRESSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FlG.-3

FIG-4 INVENTOR FRANK M. WATKINS March 23, 1937. F. M. WATKINS PRESSING MACHINE F'iled Sept. 22, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' INVENTOR FRANK M. WATKINS Mar. 23, 1937.

. DRESSING mcnnm Frank M. Watkins, Cincinnati, Ohio, asslgnor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 22, 1934, Serial No. 745,151

30 Claims.

This invention relates to a pressing machine of the general type used in pressing garments and laundry work.

An object of the invention is to provide a buck or pad having opposed faces distenslble by fluid pressure, chest means providing coacting pressing surfaces on opposite sides of said buck or pad, means for placing the parts in pressing position, and means for distending the pad so as to produce a pressing operation coincidently on opposite sides of said pad when desired.

. Another object of the invention is to provide a novel pressing pad which is quickly and easily reversible to present its opposite sides to a coacting chest, together with means for drying that portion of the pad not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel pressing buck or pad adapted to carry out the above functions.

Further objects and advantages include the mechanism provided for carrying out the above described operations, together with a suitable control mechanism therefor, all of which is more clearly described in the accompanying specification, illustrated in the drawings, and the cssential features thereof are set forth in the claims. 1

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pressing machine embodying my invention and showing the press in open position, as indicated by full lines, and showing the position of the parts when the upper chest has been brought into registration with the buck, as indicated by broken lines; Fig. 2 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 1, showing the press closed with the bag inflated to produce pressure; Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, taken from the opposite side of the machine; Fig. 5 is a partial front elevation taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3, the parts being broken away to show the construction and the various positions of the pad or buck being indicated in pressing position by full lines, in raised position preliminary to reversal in broken lines, and in partially reversed position in dash-dot lines; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pad or buck, the parts being broken away to show the construction; Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of the swivel joint, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5; while Fig. 9 is a sectional detailtaken' on the line 99 of Fig. 5, and Fig. 10 is a sectional detail taken on the line lil-i0 of Fig. 6.

In my improved pressing machine the elements 55 primarily concerned in the pressing operation comprise an expansible buck or pad indicated generally at H], which is adapted to coact with more or less rigid members II and i 2, which are adapted to be positioned respectively above and below the buck III. This arrangement of the pressing elements is adapted for a variety of uses, in one of which pressing operations may be carried. out simultaneously or coincidently between the buck l0 and the upper chest II and the lower chest or support l2. Such an operation, for instance, might be performed upon a sleeve, a shirt or other tubular article. 0n the other hand, the member I! might be regarded as a support for thepad Ill, whereby a pressing operation is carried out between the pad Ill and the upper chest ll, while the lower surface of the pad Ill might be heated and dried by contact with the member l2 which, in such case, would be supplied with a source of heat. In the latter instance the member i2 might be regarded as a buck or a buck support, but in the sense of the earlier described operation the member l2 will hereinafter be referred to as the lower chest. It will be understood that either or both of the chests II and I2 may be heated by any well known means, it being thought unnecessary in the present state of the art to illustrate this.

The buck l0 rests upon the lower chest l2 as hereinafter more fully described and the chest I2 is supported by a stem l3 for limited vertical reciprocation in a sleeve M which is supported by the press frame l5. Rigidly associated with the stem I3 is a pin l3a which is received in a suitable bore in the frame to properly guide the lower chest l2 during its vertical movement. Immediately below the stem I3 is a shaft l6 journalled in the frame I5. This shaft is oscillatable to position the pressing members and is provided with a cam I'I rigidly connected with the shaft and adapted upon shaft oscillation to contact the lower end of the stem and raise the lower chest l2.

The upper chest II is carried by a yoke i8 generally c-shaped in form as viewed in side elevation, and freely oscillatable about the shaft l6 at the free end of its lower arm, while carrying the upper chest I l at the free end of its upper arm. The yoke I8 has spaced bearings I9 on the shaft l6 and the cam i1 is located between these hearings as best seen in Fig. 5. The shaft I6 is oscillated by means of an arm 20 rigid therewith and which is connected by a link 2| with a lever 22 pivotally supported at 23 on the machine frame and operable in press closing direction by downward pressure by an operator upon handle 24 located at the front of the machine. In the present state of the art it is thought power might be applied to oscillate the shaft l5 without departing from the spirit of my invention. The operating connection between shaft l6 and yoke I8 is provided by an arm 25 which is rigid with shaft l6 and the free end of which is pivotally connected with a link 26 which acts through spring 21 upon a member 29 which in turn carries a pin 29 which is mounted in the yoke l8. The movement of yoke l9 and chest into and out of closed or registering position is controlled by snubber mechanism which comprises a cylinder 99 pivotally supported at its upper end on the frame and equipped with a piston 3| having a piston rod 32 which is connected by a block 33 with another rod 94 which has a connection with the member 28. Cylinder 30 has a small opening 35 at its upper end for controlling the escape of air from the cylinder during the closing movement of the yoke and a similar opening 36 at the lower end of the cylinder for controlling the escape of air during the opening movement. When the piston 9| strikes the upper end of cylinder 3|! it serves to limit the movement of the chest I I into registering position with the buck. The weight of yoke l9 and chest may be counterweighted to any extent desired by a weight 31 carried by an arm 99 which is rigid with shaft l6.

Various forms of the buck or pad Ill are suitable for carrying out the purposes of this invention, for instance, some of the advantages might be achieved by a pad having upper and lower surfaces separately expanslble or distensible toward their coacting chest members, but for the purposes of illustration I have shown the pad of Figs. 6 and 7 as comprising a framework 99 extending about the periphery of the buck and preferably formed of a tube which is provided with perforations 40 suitably placed thereabout for the P pose of introducing fluid to the interior of the buck as hereinafter described. The frame 39 is readily formed to any desired buck shape, the form shown herewith being illustrative only. The frame 99 is enclosed by a flexible and expansible bag 4| formed of any suitable material, one form comprising alternate layers of rubber and fabric. This bag, in the form shown, is open at one end so that it may be slipped over the frame 99, and an extension 42 of the lower side of the bag is folded over upon the top surface of the bag and secured thereabout in sealing relationship by means of a bar 49 and a similar bar on the interior of the bag, both bars being tightly secured together by means of bolts 44. If necessary or desirable, the overlapping portions which close the end of the bag may be further secured together by a suitable cement or other clamps, it only being necessary that a substantially fluidtight connection be formed at this point. Introduction of fluid under pressure to the interior of the bag is provided by means of a boss 45 at one side of the tubular frame which has an opening communicating witha pipe member 46 which is suitably secured by a clamp 41 to the boss 45, the bag 4| being clamped between the members 45 and 41 to provide a fluid-tight connection at this point. The bag 4| is covered by suitable pad and cover members, the particular elements illustrated comprising a heavy duck bag 48 enclosing the inflatable bag 4|. The next outer covering comprises a lighter duck bag 49 to opposite sides of which are secured pads 50 of flannel or other suitable material which preferably conform to the shape of the buck. Over this entire assembly is drawn a cover cloth 5| which may be gathered and tied at the end of the buck as indicated at 52.

The buck is supported in a freely floating relation between the upper and lower chests, the particular form of support in the present instance comprising a swivel joint 53 which has a packing land connection 54 with the pipe 46 leading to the inflatable bag and another packing gland connection 55 with a conduit 56 which leads to a'source of pressure fluid supply. This construction permits the buck I0 normally to lie in contact with the lower chest I2, but the buck is easily swung about the swivel joint for the purpose of draping a garment thereover or for the purpose of changing the pad or cover cloth. In one of the uses of my pressing machine previously outlined, it was stated that the buck or pad was reversible so that the lower side thereof when not in use might be in contact with the lower chest l2 so as to dry the padding. Fig. 5 illustrates how this pad is reversed by flrst swinging it upwardly to the position indicated by broken lines, then rotating it about the packing gland 54, the pad in a partially rotated position being indicated in dash-dot lines. Due to the construction of the swivel joint 53 it is possible to remove the buck l9 and substitute therefor one of another shape very quickly by simply disconnecting the pipe 48 at the packing gland 54 and inserting the pipe connection or support for another buck.

After movement of the upper and lower chests into pressing position on opposite faces of the buck, fluid pressure is applied to the interior of the buck, that is, specifically, within the inflatable bag 4| to provide pressure between the coacting pressing surfaces. This admission of fluid to the inflatable bag might be by a hand operated control or by various other means, but preferably I manipulate the fluid control valves automatically by the same actuator which moves the chests into pressing position. The control valves for the fluid supply to the buck are mounted on a bracket 51 connected with the frame and comprise an inlet valve 58 and exhaust valve 59 which have their respective valve stems plvotally connected with a bar 60 which has a pivot support 6| located between the valves. .A spring 52 normally maintains the bar 69 at the limit of its clockwise movement as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4,

and it will be noted that this maintains the inlet valve 58 normally closed and the exhaust valve 59 normally open. The conduit connections comprise an inlet conduit 69 connected with a source of pressure fluid, an exhaust conduit 84 and a combined flow and exhaust conduit 65 connected with the inlet and exhaust valve casings and having a sliding joint connection with the conduit 56 which leads to the buck. This sliding connection may be in the form of a packing gland 66 as shown in Fig. 9 and provides a tight joint during the limited vertical movement of the buck. For automatic actuation of the control valves, 2. bar 61 is mounted alongside the bar 69 and provided at its inner end with a keeper 69 which is spring pressed toward its operative-position. The bar 51 is provided with an operating knob 69 at the front of the machine by which the keeper may be retracted. 0n the shaft I6 is pinned a contact member 10 which is adapted upon suflicient oscillation of shaft It to contact the keeper 68 when in its normal operative position and thereupon to rotate the bar 60 in a counterclockwise direction against the action of spring 62. This will close the exhaust valve 59 and open the inlet valve 58 for the admission of fluid to the inflatable bag of the buck.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: With the parts in the full line position of Figs. 1 and 3, the operator arranges the lay of the work either upon the upper surface of the buck III or upon both surfaces thereof, as previously described. The operator then presses downwardly upon the handle 24 which moves the parts to the broken line position of Figs. 1 and 3 and in so doing, as viewed in Fig. 3, lever 22 moves clockwise which rotates arm 20 and shaft l6 and arm 25 in a clockwise direction thus exerting a pull upon rod 26 which is transmitted through spring 21 to block 28, pin-29 and yoke l8 so as to rotate the yoke to the broken line position. Spring 21 is sufliciently stiif that it is not compressed during this part of the movement. The piston 3| meanwhile moves upwardly within cylinder 30 to snub this action. Further movement of lever 22 beyond the broken line position of Figs. 1 and 3 moves the parts in a substantially continuous action to the position of Figs. 2 and 4,

the successive steps of which will now be related.

The first result of such further movement of lever 22 is to oscillate shaft l6 further in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, while compressing spring 21. This moves cam II in position to raise chest l2 by means of its depending stem l3 to the position of Fig. 4. The final movement of lever 22 causes contact member III to engage keeper 68 which rotates bar 60 in a counterclockwise direction thus opening inlet valve 58 and closing exhaust valve 59 to admit pressure fluid to the inflatable bag of the buck It). To open the press the operator pulls the knob 69 to retract the keeper 68 upon which spring 62 will return the control valves to their normal position thus cutting off the supply of pressure fluid to the 40 buck. Immediately upon the release of fluid pressure in the buck l0 spring 21 comes into play to move the parts from the position of Fig. 4 to the broken line position of Fig. 3-. Thereafter the operator releases button 69 and raises lever 22 to its full line position of Fig. 3 to move the press parts to fully open position.

One result of the specific arrangement of the parts shown is to provide a very compact machine of the type illustrated. It will be apparent that if the chest II is to be swung rearwardly and downwardly in an arc in a manner to clear the buck Ill, either the chest H must be provided with a horizontal component of motion during the first portion of the opening cycle of the press in order for the parts to clear, or the chest I I and the buck I0 must have considerable clearance when they reach registering position, such for instance as the clearance illustrated in the broken line position of the parts in Figs. 1 and 3. In this position of the parts, if the buck is to be inflated it will require a large amount of air and a large movement of the pressing surfaces of the buck and result in a rather impractical structure. Therefore the preliminary movement upwardly of the chest l2 which raises thev buck Hi to a position very close to or in contact with the chest ll greatly simplifies this problem and increases the efficiency of my apparatus while insuring a somewhat more compact arrangement of the yoke l8 and its operating mechanism.

One feature of my present invention is the expansion of the opposed pressing surfaces of the buck Ill simultaneously in opposite directions with an equalizing of pressure between the two surfaces so that if a tubular garment is being pressed thereon it will receive equal pressure on both sides.

The structure disclosed herewith is illustrative only and I do not desire to be limited in the practice of my invention other than by the scope of the appended claims when construed in view of the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. In a press of the class described, a buck expansible by fluid pressure, a chest, means for positioning said chest spaced from said buck, means for moving and holding said buck in position adjacent said chest, and means for-expanding said buck into engagement with said chest.

2. In a press of the class described, a frame, a pair of chest-s mounted thereon and movable into substantially parallel spaced relation with their pressing surfaces lying substantially horizontally, a fluid-pressure-expansible buck mounted in said frame and freely movable into and out of a position between said chests and in registering relation therewith when they are in such spaced relation, and means for expanding said buck into engagement with said chests.

3. In a press of the class described, a frame, upper and lower heated chests mounted thereon, a buck expansibe by fluid pressure and having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, means for positioning said chests on opposite sides of and adjacent said buck, means for expanding said buck into engagement with said chests, and

means mounting said buck in said frame for reversal to present each face thereof alternatively to the upper or lower chest.

4. In a press of the class described, a frame, upper and lower heated chests mounted thereon, a buck expansible by fluid pressure and having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, means for positioning said chests on opposite sides of and adjacent said buck, means for expanding said buck into engagement with said chests, means mounting said buck in said frame for reversal to present each face thereof alternatively to the upper or lower chest, and said mounting means being arranged to cause said buck to normally lie upon said lower chest.

5. In a press of the class described, coacting chest and buck members and actuating mechanism therefor, and mounting means for said buck member comprising a swivel joint at one side of said buck member constructed and arranged to permit said buck member to be lifted out of its normal pressing position and to be rotated about said joint.

6. In a ress of the class described, coacting chest and uck members and actuating mecha- '7. In a press of the class described, coacting chect and buck members and actuating mechanism therefor, said buck member comprising a frame, a flexible and expansible bag supported thereby, a pipe member for the introduction of fluid into said bag, said pipe member being rigidly connected with said frame; a fluid supply conduit, and a detachable connection between said pipe member and conduit.

8. In a press of the class described, a frame, a vertically positioned yoke substantially C- shape in side elevation and having the free end of its lower arm pivotally mounted in said frame, a chest carried by the free end of the upper arm of said yoke, a buck expansible by fluid pressure,

said buck being mounted in said frame for limited vertical movement, means for moving said yoke to position said chest over said buck, means for raising said buck into position adjacent said chest, and means for expanding said buck into engagement with said chest.

, 9. In a press of the class described, a buck expansible by fluid pressure. chest means adapted to provide substantially parallel pressing sur- 10 faces spaced apart on opposite sides of said buck,

' means for moving said chest means to so position said pressing surfaces, fluid pressure means for expanding said buck, control means therefor, and said moving means having an additional movement beyond said pressing surface positioning point for actuating said control means.

10. In a press 0. the class described, upper and lower chest members, a fluid-pressure-expansible buck member, and an actuator for said members 0 having connections for positioning said chest members on opposite sides of and adjacent said buck member, said actuator having another connection for admitting pressure fluid from a supply source to said buck.

25 '11. In a press of the class described, upper and lower chest members, a flmd-pressure-expansible buck member, means for supply and exhaust of pressure fluid to said buck member, control means therefor including a normally closed inlet valve 30 and a normally open exhaust valve, mechanism for moving said chest membersinto pressing position on opposite sides of and adjacent said buck member, and means operable upon movement of said members into pressing position for closing 35 said exhaust valve and opening said inlet valve.

12. The press of claim 11 including means for releasing the last-named means whereby to return said valves to normal position and to open the press.

13. A pressing element comprising a tubular frame shaped to the desired periphery of said element, a closed flexible fluid-tight bag enclosing said frame, a fluid supply conduit communicating with said frame, and there being open- 45 ings in said frame communicating with the interior of said bag.

14. A pressing element comprising a frame extending within the periphery only thereof, a closed flexible fluid-tight bag conforming to and en- 50 closing said frame, means for introducing fluid into said bag, a cover enclosing said bag, and

pressing pads conforming to the shape of said frame and secured to said cover on opposite sides of said bag.

15. In a press of the class described, a frame, upper and lower heated chests thereon, a buck having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, means mounting said buck insaid frame for reversal to present each face thereof alternatively- 60 to the upper or lower chest, said mounting means being arranged to cause said buck normally to lie upon said lower chest, and means for causing pressure engagement between said buck and 1 said upper chest for an ironing operation.

- 65 16. In a press of the class described, a frame,

17. In a pressing machine, a first pressing member, a second pressing member adapted to coact therewith, said second member comprising a pressing face movable bodily toward the first member, means for moving the second member toward the first member to position said members adiacent, means for moving thepressing face of said second member toward the first member, and one control member for both means, said control member having operative connections actuable sequentially to control both of said means.

18. In a pressing machine, a first pressing member movable into and out of pressing position, a second member movable into and out of pressing position and having a pressing face movable bodily toward the first member, and an actuator having operative connections for moving each of said members to pressing position and for thereafter moving the face of said second member into ironing engagement with said first member.

19. In a pressing machine, a frame, a vertical C-shaped yoke having the free end of its lower arm pivotally mounted in said frame, an upper pressing member on the free end of the upper arm of said yoke, a lower pressing member on said frame above-said pivot, said lower member having a support mounted for vertical movement relative to said frame, one of said members having a flexible distensible pressing face, means for moving said yoke to position said upper member over said lower member, means for raising said lower member to a position adjacent said upper member, and means for distending said distensible pressing face into engagement with the coacting pressing member.

20. In a pressing machine, a frame, a vertical O-shaped yoke having the free end of its lower .arm pivotally mounted on a shaft in said frame,

an upper pressing member on the free end of the upper arm of said yoke, a lower pressing member on said frame above said shaft, said lower member having a support mounted for vertical movement relative to said frame, a cam on said shaft adapted upon shaft rotation to raise said support, an operating arm, said arm having a connection for moving said yoke about its pivot to register said upper member over said lower member, said connection including a lost motion connection, and said arm having a second connection operable while taking up said lost motion connection to rotate said shaft to move said cam to support raising position.

21. In a pressing machine, a frame, a vertical c-shaped yoke having the free end of its lower arm rigidly mounted on a shaft Journalled in said frame, an upper pressing member on the free end of the upper arm of said yoke, a lower pressing member on said frame above said shaft, said lower member having a'support mounted for vertical movement relative to said frame, a cam on said shaft adapted upon shaft rotation to raise said support, one of said members having a flexible distensible pressing face, an operating arm, said arm having a connection for moving said yoke to register said upper member over said lower member, said connection including a lost motion connection, said arm having a second connection operable while taking up said lost motion connection to rotate said shaft to move said cam in support raising position, a crank arm on said shaft, an abutment connected with said crank arm, a spring between said abutment and said yoke and adapted to be compressed during the taking up of said lost motion connection, and

means for distending said distensible pressing face into pressure engagement with the coacting pressing member.

22. In a pressing machine, a pair of coacting pressing elements and operating means therefor, one of said pressing elements comprising a closed fluid tight flexible bag, and a fabric bag loosely covering said first named bag.

23. In a pressing machine, a pair of coacting pressing elements and operating means therefor, one of said pressing elements comprising a closed fluid tight flexible bag, and a supporting frame for the bag, said frame extending adjacent the entire periphery only of said bag.

24. In a pressing machine, a frame, a pair of spaced coacting pressing members thereon, operating means therefor, a hollow member distensible by fluid pressure movably mounted on said frame for movement into and out of position between said pressing members, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said hollow member.

25. In a pressing machine, a frame, an upper heated chest thereon, a support below and spaced from said chest, a pressing member having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, means mounting said pressing member in said frame for reversal to selectively present either face thereof to said chest, said mounting means being arranged to cause said pressing member normally to lie upon said support, and means for moving said support and pressing member toward said chest to cause ironing engagement between said pressing member and chest.

26. A pressing machine as in claim 25, and in which the pressing faces of said pressing member comprise a cover member distensible by fluid pressure, and fluid pressure means for distending said cover member is carried by said frame and said mounting means.

27. In a pressing machine, a frame, an upper heated chest thereon, a support below and spaced from said chest, a pressing member having pressing faces on opposite sides thereof, means mounting said pressing member in said frame for reversal to selectively present either face thereof to said chest, and means for causing relative approach movement between said chest and support to cause ironing engagement between said pressing member and chest.

28. In a pressing machine, a frame, a pressing chest thereon, a support carried by said frame for movement toward and from said chest, a distensible hollow member movably mounted on said frame between said chest and support and adapted to coact with said chest, means for moving said support toward said chest in a manner to move said hollow member into position adjacent said chest, and means for distending said hollow member.

29. In a pressing machine, a frame, a pressing member thereon, a support member on said frame, means for causing relative lateral movement between said members to cause registry of one with the other, a pressure-producing cover member distensible by fluid supplied thereto and lying over said support when the pressing member and said support are in registry, means for causing relative approach movement between said pressing member and support member when in registry, and fluid pressure means for distending said cover member into engagement with said pressing member.

30. In a pressing machine, a pair of coacting pressing members relatively movable into and out of registration, a flexible substantially fluid-tight cover member on one of said pressing members and distensible toward said other pressing member by fluid supplied thereto, means for causing relative movement of said pressing members into registry, means for causing relative approach movement between said pressing-members when in registry, and means for thereafter supplying fluid under pressure to said cover member.

FRANK M. WATKINS. 

